The ride from Honolulu to Auckland was long and full of turbulence. I was fortunate to have an empty sit next to mine so I didn’t have to worry about freaking out anyone other than myself. You would think with as much flying as I have done, especially in the past 2 years, I wouldn’t be bothered by turbulence. Regardless of how many times I tell myself it’s normal and the flight will smooth out, as soon as the seat belt sign dings and we hit the bumpy pocket, my stomach eats my heart and my palms sweat.
After a smooth landing I was greeted by a message from over the intercom "Welcome to New Zealand, we will now spray you down with aerosol pesticides, that aren’t harmful to people but will kill the pests that hitched a ride on your belongings.” Minutes later two officials opened up all the overhead luggage containers followed by two masked attendants spraying the bug killer. In my mind I was wondering why do they need masks if it’s so harmless? but whatever I landed safely and I would see Dominic soon.
After going through an extensive agricultural customs check I was greeted by a big toothy grin from my adventure buddy. Locked in a bear hug we waited for the bus to the hotel. I wasn’t paying too much attention to my surroundings but Dominic pointed out all the warnings against spitting in trash cans and similar advisory signs. When the bus arrived I almost made the mistake of entering on the American right side, luckily I caught myself before looking too much like a tourist. The bus driver gave me a smirk, he was joking and jovial but hard to understand. Kiwi english is more guttural than I expected, but the more you hear the easier it is to understand.
We stayed in the Holiday Inn near the airport. The front lobby was nicely decorated with Māori wood carvings on the walls but the hallways were dark, dingy and funny smelling. Luckily the hotel room was clean, nice, and spacious with a large bathroom. The most memorable part of the room was all the condensation on the windows and doors and the electric blankets under the sheets. New Zealand doesn’t seem to believe in double pane windows or insulation.
The next day we ate breakfast at the hotel. The entire dinning room minus Dominic, myself, and the staff were Chinese tourists. Even the buffet food available had more traditional chinese dishes than what I expected. I figured tourism from Asia must be high. Otherwise the food was ok. The kiwi was underripe, the meats were greasy, the eggs were a chewy texture, the breads were dry but the sweet bread were flavorful. Recommendation… avoid the veggiemite unless you want a spreadable multi-vitamin.
After we checked out of our hotel, the car rental agency picked us up from the hotel. The woman helping us was very informative and friendly enough, and directed us around our little white beater. She sent us on our way as we packed into the car. I made the mistake again of trying to get in on the drivers side. Luckily for me Dominic was in New Zealand for a couple weeks before me and he had the opportunity to adjust to driving on the left side of the road. Unfortunately for me I wasn’t good at being a passenger or navigator while driving on the other side of the road. Regardless we made our way to Rotorua.
After a smooth landing I was greeted by a message from over the intercom "Welcome to New Zealand, we will now spray you down with aerosol pesticides, that aren’t harmful to people but will kill the pests that hitched a ride on your belongings.” Minutes later two officials opened up all the overhead luggage containers followed by two masked attendants spraying the bug killer. In my mind I was wondering why do they need masks if it’s so harmless? but whatever I landed safely and I would see Dominic soon.
After going through an extensive agricultural customs check I was greeted by a big toothy grin from my adventure buddy. Locked in a bear hug we waited for the bus to the hotel. I wasn’t paying too much attention to my surroundings but Dominic pointed out all the warnings against spitting in trash cans and similar advisory signs. When the bus arrived I almost made the mistake of entering on the American right side, luckily I caught myself before looking too much like a tourist. The bus driver gave me a smirk, he was joking and jovial but hard to understand. Kiwi english is more guttural than I expected, but the more you hear the easier it is to understand.
We stayed in the Holiday Inn near the airport. The front lobby was nicely decorated with Māori wood carvings on the walls but the hallways were dark, dingy and funny smelling. Luckily the hotel room was clean, nice, and spacious with a large bathroom. The most memorable part of the room was all the condensation on the windows and doors and the electric blankets under the sheets. New Zealand doesn’t seem to believe in double pane windows or insulation.
The next day we ate breakfast at the hotel. The entire dinning room minus Dominic, myself, and the staff were Chinese tourists. Even the buffet food available had more traditional chinese dishes than what I expected. I figured tourism from Asia must be high. Otherwise the food was ok. The kiwi was underripe, the meats were greasy, the eggs were a chewy texture, the breads were dry but the sweet bread were flavorful. Recommendation… avoid the veggiemite unless you want a spreadable multi-vitamin.
After we checked out of our hotel, the car rental agency picked us up from the hotel. The woman helping us was very informative and friendly enough, and directed us around our little white beater. She sent us on our way as we packed into the car. I made the mistake again of trying to get in on the drivers side. Luckily for me Dominic was in New Zealand for a couple weeks before me and he had the opportunity to adjust to driving on the left side of the road. Unfortunately for me I wasn’t good at being a passenger or navigator while driving on the other side of the road. Regardless we made our way to Rotorua.